


Got A Secret

by OneHundredSuns



Series: It's All Just Borrowed Time [5]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Zombies, Angst, Drama, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, POV Allison Argent, Romance, Some Humor, Unplanned Pregnancy, Werewolves, Zombies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-07
Updated: 2016-03-18
Packaged: 2018-05-25 07:29:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,232
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6185890
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OneHundredSuns/pseuds/OneHundredSuns
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Allison's secret is discovered by someone rather unlikely, it brings up some hard truths for her and Derek.</p><p>Derek/Allison (Teen Wolf) Zombie AU</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Shh!

**Author's Note:**

> I've been in an odd mood writing wise and it sucks because I've been trying to get stuff out but it hasn't wanted to cooperate. I wanted this to be longer but I think it gives a good view into Allison's head space at least! :) Anyway thank you to everyone who has been following this series. I hope you continue you enjoy it.
> 
> Edit: (3/17/2016) I am adding a 2nd chapter; creativity struck! :)

Chapter One: Shh!

“Are you sure you don’t mind being down here by yourself? It’s…creepy.”

Allison smiled and shook her head, dumping more clean smelling detergent into the large barrel of water. “I’m fine. Really. Besides the doors are locked up tight so it’s not like I am in any danger.”

Lydia made a face. “True. Still…” Trailing off, she shrugged and squeezed her shoulder. “Well shout if you need anything. I’m sure Derek will hear you and break through a wall to get to you.”

Allison rolled her eyes playfully and watched her friend disappear through the dimly lit doorway, the sound of her thick-soled boots getting fainter and fainter. In truth she loved doing laundry and always had especially when washers and dryers were a thing. It was harder now to scrub at some of the stains by hand but she preferred doing this to say washing dishes or burning walkers. Besides if she used a stick she could mimic the spinning and no one really expected pristine clothes anymore. Anything with meager bloodstains or brain matter was a plus.

The laundry room was hidden in the bowels of the prison and while quiet, it was completely safe. There was a door that led to the outside but it had been locked and zombies would have to get past the fence _first_ which wasn’t damn likely. That freaking fence was maintained better than some of them kept up their own bodies.

It had been two weeks—verging on three—since the sickness that had spread through the area and thankfully those affected were now doing a lot better. Still weak and stumbling around a bit but there were no more fevers or terrible hacking coughs. Everyone was out of the woods and they were all trying very hard not to have a relapse or repeat. Dousing down the infirmary in bleach, burning all of the old linens and keeping the containment up until it was safe probably saved them a lot of grief. Not being able to hug her dad because he’d been exposed was hard but in the end had been for the best. It was a miracle he hadn’t gotten sick.

More of a miracle that no one else had gotten sick either…or died. She was particularly thankful because it meant she could stick to her usual routine of hunting and checking the traps, making no one the wiser of her condition. Derek didn’t like her going out to beyond the safety of the gates but it was important to not break character as it were.

That meant no questions were asked like, _why are you so tired all of a sudden? Why doesn’t Derek want you going out now? Why did you turn green at the smell of rotten meat when you never have before?_

Honestly Allison was nervous about how her father would take the news about her impending motherhood. She’d once promised him that she and Derek were being safe, that she wasn’t stupid enough to get pregnant and yet here she was, pregnant. While the protection thing hadn’t exactly been a lie she supposed she just figured it would never happen. The odds were more against it than for. Being on the run and fearing for her life constantly stressed her out and even before she’d never been super regular. Beacon Hills had seen to that. And it wasn’t like she thought werewolves had supernatural sperm or what have you. And if she were being totally selfish? Well sex just felt _better_ with nothing between them.

When nothing in life was certain anymore that connection meant everything; being able to feel someone’s heartbeat and the heat of their skin…To know they were alive when you were surrounded by nothing but death…

But she realized it had been a stupid gamble and now she was more or less paying for it.

The idea of having a child and attempting to raise it when surrounded by so much death and danger didn’t make any sense. Really it just—it just didn’t appear to be something that could be done. 

Generally speaking however she knew there had to be families out there that were still alive and that possibly had children. No doubt there were warriors making it work just like they were making it work, but naturally it had to be harder. If given a choice she wouldn’t have picked this for herself—at least not now. Their presence at the prison was shaky at best and depended on how determined they were to make it all work. It sounded great on paper but there was no guarantee they could get crops to grow or that the fences would always hold.

And if she brought a child into the world only to lose it to a walker… _God_ the very idea made her want to vomit.

Exhaling deeply, she turned her attention back to the wash and squashed at the water until it was nice and foamy. Washing the underwear of her friends, well, that had stopped being weird a while ago. Except for the odd pair of tighty-whities that she was pretty sure belonged to the Sheriff. _Melissa should be doing this for him I suppose._ They weren’t a couple—yet—but it was only a matter of time. Pairing off just seemed a natural progression and it wasn’t like there hadn’t been a spark between them for years now.

Allison yawned and hummed to herself as she used a thick stick to bat at the clothes, pushing them deeper into the suds. Idly she let her mind drift to thoughts of Beacon Hills and their adventure to get Derek’s mom’s claws which were now tucked away under their bed. He hadn’t had a chance to use them yet, too busy curing people and pulling double duty since some of them were out of commission. Not to mention Scott hadn’t been in any state of mind to attempt something so dangerous, not when he’d been worried about Stiles and the others so much.

Her stomach gave an unhappy rumble as the images of Kali and Ennis flashed through her mind. Kali was still out there somewhere being horrible, as was her leader and that weird woman Derek had apparently met. There was nothing stopping them from leaving Beacon Hills and trying to track them down. It wouldn’t be easy so…maybe that was some type of saving grace.

Biting her bottom lip, she frowned and hit at the clothes with a bit more force than necessary. Derek had told her about _Jennifer_ and her plan to run off with him so they would both be safe. She’d never had to deal with jealously where he was concerned and it was an odd feeling. Nice in a weird way because it was so normal. Though she knew if that female were here now _nice_ would be the last thing she’d be calling it.

“Aren’t you cold down here?”

Allison jerked and her heart gave a hard thud in her chest, beating rapidly and sending a flush up into her pale cheeks. All of the wolves could be light footed but none more so than Cora. She seemed to love tip toeing around and popping out of shadows. “A little,” Allison said slowly. “But the heavy sweaters help. I have on two.”

Cora nodded and eased fully into the room, hands stuffed into the back pockets of her jeans. “Need any help?”

Allison tilted her head to the side. “You can rinse.” She pointed to the second barrel full of clear water. “Scott made me an indoor clothes line since it’s too cold to put them up outside. Lydia swears she’s gonna work out how to get the dryer going in some way that won’t drain power when she ultimately gets _that_ going too.”

“Hm.” Cora replied absently but moved to help.

By nature of being Derek’s sister meant there was a line of trust she earned without doing anything at all. They all expected her to be on their side because she was a _Hale_ or at the very least a good one unlike Peter. Derek was _thrilled_ to have her back and the first week they’d spent a lot of time together getting her situated and just disappearing to quiet corners to talk. Out of everyone Scott made the most effort to make her feel welcome however she seemed to gravitate towards Boyd when she wasn’t helping Derek. That immediately made her relationship with Erica rather frosty but Allison honestly didn’t think Cora wanted Boyd, at least not in a sexual way.

Her relationship with Cora was lukewarm because she was a Hunter and an Argent but that was okay with her. Cora wasn’t threatening her or playing any mean girl games so it was alright. And even if she were a total bitch Allison wouldn’t say anything because she loved Derek, and it was obvious Derek loved his sister. That he needed her with him because she was the last link to his family.

They worked in silence for about ten minutes and then as she was squeezing the suds out of a pair of jeans, Cora cleared her throat. “I’m kinda surprised how well this is all working out. Living in a prison and hunting in the woods for food. On the surface it seems like something that couldn’t be done.”

Allison nodded. “We weren’t sure it would work but I guess we got lucky. Which considering everything we’d went through with Peter and Gerard it was time for things to start looking up.”

Cora moved to the line and threw the jeans across them. “Derek says Gerard is the reason we have zombies in the first place. That must make you feel like shit. I mean he _was_ your grandpa.”

 _Unfortunately_. “Not by choice of course. I hardly knew Gerard and then when he inserted himself more into the picture, it was clear he was a monster. I didn’t call him papa and sit on his knee during the holidays or whatever. He would have been perfectly fine with my dad and me dying; in fact he tried to kill me.”

She shrugged at her tattered shirt. “Derek told me you killed him to save his life.”

The memory fluttered behind her eyes like a movie out of focus and Allison bit her bottom lip. She didn’t think much about Gerard anymore, at least not about that night and what she’d done. It appeared not having any regrets about it meant not dwelling on that aspect of the past. “I did,” she murmured. “I suppose it might be hard for you to swallow but I love you brother very much. It wasn’t always like it is now—I won’t lie—but I’d do anything to keep him safe.”

Moving back to deal with more laundry, Cora shrugged nonchalantly. “I haven’t seen or known Derek for a long time so I can’t really barge into his life and say whether I think he’s making a bad decision about something or not. I can only talk about what I have judged since being here. Like how Scott is the total optimist or how that Stiles talks _way_ too much for his own good and is just asking for me to punch him in the head.” She snorted. “But I can tell you and my brother are in love. Besides the fact that you both _reek_ of each other, he always wants to talk to you about important stuff. It’s how our parents were.”

That caused Allison’s heart to thump loudly in her own ears. “It is?”

Cora pulled up the pair of tightie-whites and squeezed them with one deceptively looking dainty fist. “Yes. As Alpha mom had the final say but she always talked the important matters over with dad. And not just wolf stuff but normal stuff too. I see that with you two.”

Knowing that she and Derek really did function as a unit made her smile. It was one thing to hope that was how they were and another to heat someone else say it. _Oh how far we have come…_

Dumping a few more shirts into Cora’s rinsing barrel, Allison dried her hands on a towel and leaned against a table. “How are you fitting in by the way?”

“Fine.” Cora mused. “It’s hard to feel like the odd man out when everyone goes out of their way to make you feel otherwise. I know Erica doesn’t like me because I enjoy hanging out with Boyd, but that’s okay. I don’t _want_ him or anything. I just—he just—he’s calm. Honestly he reminds me of a friend I had back in South America.”

“She’ll come around.” Allison picked at her nails. “She wasn’t my biggest fan either once upon a time. Or Lydia’s. Actually her and Isaac kinda tried to kill both of us at one point. And then we returned the favor.”

“If that’s true how in the hell did you all end up calling each other family?” Cora inquired innocently. “What changed?”

“This.” Allison gestured to nothing. “In the very beginning my dad and I met up with the Pack by accident, and Boyd saved my life. After that we begrudgingly decided traveling together might be the best option. It was crap at first but after a while we slowly started to trust each other. Then one day Derek and I…got intimate and that sort of snowballed to where it is now. As for Scott and the others, well, I was always close to them. When we met up again it was like the last piece of the puzzle was finally in place. I never expected to end up with Derek but I don’t regret it.”

“Hm.” Cora wrung out a t-shirt and moved to the clothes line. “Thrown together by circumstance and yet somehow making the best of it. It makes sense.”

“Are you happy that you found Derek again?” Allison asked and just hoped she didn’t sound suspicious, because she wasn’t. 

Cora pressed her lips together before saying, “I am. I know I come off kind of prickly but that’s how life has taught me to be. For so long I thought my entire family was _dead_. Lost to me forever. So finding Derek in Beacon Hills in the middle of a freaking zombie outbreak was like, finding a piece of gold in mud at the bottom of a well.” Rocking back on the heels of her scuffed tennis shoes, she made a face. “I just wish it hadn’t taken so long. That I could have watched him become the man he is today.”

Allison smiled. “Maybe it’s okay you missed the bad parts. When he was floundering as a Beta and unsure as an Alpha. Now you get him when he’s totally kick ass and in charge.”

Cora laughed. “I remember him when he was a spoiled brat with a chip on his shoulder.”

 _That chip perks up sometimes._ “He can still be a cocky asshole if it makes you feel any better.”

From the mischievous grin Cora got, it obviously did. “Good. I can still tease him about something when he’s no longer tip toeing around me. But I get it and in an odd way it’s appreciated. He doesn’t want to rock the boat; like he could somehow drive me away. There is no danger of that. ‘Sides where would I even go?”

Good point. “Some people fair pretty good out on the road. I missed it for a while.”

“But now you’re all cozy?”

“Something like that.”

Cora smoothed a hand across her face and eyed her speculatively for a few minutes. “Can I ask you something? I’ve been working up to it since I came down here.”

Allison wet her lips. “Okay.”

Cora tucked strands of auburn hair behind her ear, apparently listening for the others. When she was satisfied it was just the two of them, she exhaled deeply. “Does Derek know you are pregnant?”

The bottom dropped out from underneath where Allison was standing and she had to latch onto the table to keep from tipping over. Her first reaction was to _deny deny deny_ but she assumed some type of special werewolf sense had lead Cora to her conclusion so it would be stupid to insult her intelligence. As it was she decided making sure she kept quiet would be the best option. Not to mention finding out how she knew in the first place. Was she now in danger of the other wolves discovering too? Scott _would not_ be able to keep his mouth shut. He’d tell everyone _for her own good_ because that was the type of person Scott was.

Even if it made her hate him afterwards. Honestly she couldn’t say that she wouldn’t, not for a little while at least.

Gathering herself, Allison folded her arms across her chest. “He does but we’re keeping it a secret for now. How…did you find out?”

Cora’s brows narrowed. “I come from a big family and saw quite a few Aunts and cousins while they were pregnant. There is a distinct smell if one knows what to look for, especially with the Hale family. It’s like…fresh cut flowers or something. Maybe it’s in the blood—I don’t really know.” She paused. “I…just started to recently smell it when you were near. At first I thought it was a fluke but I notice you get green sometimes. Morning sickness?”

 _Not as such, thank God or that would be a dead giveaway._ “Certain smells hit me wrong but I can pass it off because of the rotting corpses. In case you are wondering this wasn’t planned or anything. We’d never do that.”

“I’m not…” Cora trailed off and then tried once more. “I’m not judging you I was just curious as to if you were keeping it from my brother. If you were I was going to _suggest_ you tell him right away or he might find out from someone else. It would be the sisterly thing to do I think.”

“He knows.” Allison repeated. “He’s the only one who knows, besides you. I plan to tell them eventually I just need time to let it all settle in my own brain. This is possibly the worst possible time to be bringing a kid into the world, if it gets that far. My dad is going to explode and I’m not really looking forward to any of that.”

Not knowing Cora very well Allison had no idea what she was thinking when she scrunched her face up—in a manner like Derek would do—before hunching her shoulders. “I’ll keep your secret. That’s my niece or nephew and I can tell you’re already stressed out over it. Wouldn’t want to do anything that would add to that.”

 _I don’t think there is much more you could do these days._ “Thank you…”

It was the longest conversation she’d had with Cora since they found her; apparently Hales liked being standoffish for a while before just jumping into the mix head first. While she had no choice she did trust Cora not to tell anyone about her secret, mainly because she had nothing to gain from it. Plus she seemed satisfied that Derek was in the loop. Perhaps there was hope for their relationship after all.

After the last shirt was slung across the line and Cora had lifted the heavy barrels alone to pour out the water into the large silver sink, both girls went their separate ways.

Allison found herself alone in the kitchen, poking through all of their leftovers. Derek had made some type of dumpling—she honestly wasn’t sure if it was turkey or rabbit—and really she didn’t care because she only ate the dumpling anyway. But the pot was half empty so she took it upon herself to try to finish off the rest; perching on the counter and eating with a wooden spoon. The food had just the right amount of salt and seasoning and none of the weird _ingredients_ Stiles often wanted to try out. He fancied himself a chef and yet couldn’t cook to save his life.

There was a tiny bit of relief at Cora knowing _the secret_ as she was going to start calling it. Probably due to her laid back reaction. In the past few weeks Allison had idly entertained how each person would react, and truthfully it just gave her more reason to keep quiet. Not like they would start clapping and talking about names or what have you. She didn’t want the judgmental looks or muttering.

Licking the back of her fork, she arched a brow when the thump of heavy work boots grew closer and closer. Derek—dressed in a long sleeve gray shirt and dark jeans—stormed into the kitchen like it had personally offended him.

“Aren’t you cold down here?” He asked with a scowl. “Cora said you were doing laundry.”

She blinked at him and kept eating. “Um yes, because it was my turn. And no I’m actually not that cold. I am hungry though.”

Derek eyed her and then fetched a rather stale piece of bread for her. “You talked to Cora.” 

It was a statement and she didn’t deny it. “I did. She helped me with the laundry. Is that not allowed?”

He huffed. “Of course it’s allowed I just want to make sure she wasn’t going in on you because of the Hunter shit.”

She crossed her legs at the ankles. Of course their _issues_ when it came to Hunter and Werewolf were not immediately fixed because of their conversation but she felt like Cora was now more inclined to believe she wasn’t a threat. “Nope, didn’t even really come up.” 

He watched her carefully. “But something _did_ come up.”

 _Ah._ “She…knows what’s cooking in the oven if you catch my drift. I didn’t tell her; she said it was something about smells or something. For what it’s worth she said she’s not going to tell anyone.”

Derek grunted. “Yeah she said the same thing to me. “

Allison patted his shoulder. “You shouldn’t be angry at her if you are. She was really cool about it. Granted I didn’t want anyone to know but you can hardly blame her for werewolf senses. If everyone reacts like she did we’re home free.”

Giving a barely there smirk, he pulled himself up onto the counter beside her. “That sounds like asking for a miracle.” He rubbed her thigh. “Are you feeling alright today?”

A nod. “I am. Just kinda tired but that’s normal. How are _you_ feeling? You were gone when I woke up.”

Scratching at his facial hair, he hummed. “I got up early to check the fences and then helped gather snow to turn into water. It’s melting pretty good now which is a blessing and a curse. Cold seemed to be one of the only things that slowed the walkers down.”

“When is Deaton going to do his mountain ash test?” She questioned.

“Eventually. As you know things have been a bit hectic for all of us.” He explained lightly. “Now that we’re sure the others are going to live I think we can get back to normal. Whatever the fuck that is.”

“I don’t think being stuck in a sort of holding pattern is a bad thing. It allowed us to process what happened in Beacon Hills and since people were too busy being sick, they didn’t have the strength to badger us for answers.” Pause. “And now it’s like they don’t care though once you start talking about your mom’s claws again I’m sure that will change. Guess you have a lot to try to talk to her about…”

“I suppose.” He let out a long suffering sigh. “Allison I know you are against telling people right now but I would feel _a lot_ better if you would at least tell Melissa or Deaton. Get properly checked out. It worries me that you want to pretend this isn’t happening.”

Anger flared up in her chest but she pushed it down the best she could. “That is _not_ what I am doing and you know it. I just need time to breathe, Derek. We’ve gone from one fucked up situation to another since Gerard released his plague and we’ve been mostly okay but by the skin of our teeth. I thought after he was dead we’d be able to rest for a moment. I mean we found this place and it’s awesome but it’s not like we don’t have to really try to make it work.” Done with her food, she returned the pot to the stove. “Then we went to Beacon Hills and I don’t regret that for a second but we’re still dealing with stuff. Our friends are still weak, and my dad is picking up the slack on runs. I don’t need him worrying about diapers when he’s out there. Not yet.”

For the first time in quite a while Derek looked weary. “Just Deaton then. True he’s a vet but I know we can trust him to keep his mouth shut about this.” Before she could reply he held up a hand. “Look just think about it, okay? For me?”

Allison rolled her eyes but it lacked heat. “Fine. I’ll think about it _for you_.”

Derek smiled and hopped off the counter, fitting himself between the open V of her legs. “Thank you.”

It occurred to Allison and not for the first time that perhaps she should be a bit gentler with Derek during this whole situation. He’d already lost most of his family and had never expected to find some long lost sister; of course he’d already be intrigued by the idea of being a father. Naturally he saw it as maybe gaining back something he assumed lost to him forever. And she was sure he was just as nervous about it as she was, probably more so because that is how Derek tended to operate. If anything happened to cause her to miscarry no doubt he would find a way to blame himself.

Wrapping her arms around his shoulders and pulling him closer, she pressed her face into the hollow of his neck. “Tell me we can do this and I’ll believe you.”

He rubbed her back. “We can do this. We can _do_ this, Allison. Think of all we have done already.”

She chuckled lowly. “Somehow fighting the dead is less scary. And I—I am scared Derek. I’m terrified of what the future holds for us now. I used to be worried we might lose this place and have to go back onto the road, but in the back of my mind I didn’t care that much. We were okay on the road…somehow. Would that be the case with a baby? A newborn?”

Derek’s brows narrowed. “I think it could be. Extremely hard but doable. But instead of focusing on all the ways things could go wrong, maybe we should look at the good things.” And then he said something she never would have expected. “I—having a kid isn’t something I wanted to do during all of this bullshit. It’s not optimal or sensible and yeah we should have been _way_ more careful. This is on us. So we’re gonna deal with it like we have tackled everything else that has been thrown our way. Just…have a little faith.”

 _We are definitely dealing with a different Derek Hale. I’m not sure the earlier edition even knew what faith was._ “I’ll try. I’m a bad ass Hunter so I will come at this like one. As weird as it sounds I bet my mom would have strapped on one of those baby carriers and marched down to the fences to kill zombies. Maybe I should be more like she was.”

“Eh well, I wouldn’t say that…” He replied slowly, laughing when she punched him in the stomach. “As long as you don’t get murderous again.”

“I think I liked you better when you were broody.” She teased. “Though thank you for always trying to make me feel better. I’d be lost here without you.”

“You’d be okay.” Derek kissed her forehead. “You’re one of the strongest people I have ever met.”

Allison entwined their fingers together. “Surviving the end of the world? Sure. Parenthood? I don’t know about that.”

Derek pressed a hand to her stomach—for the first time—and Allison held her breath without realizing it was what she was doing. Something about the action put her at ease and yet also rattled her even further.

Noticing her unease, Derek nuzzled her cheek. “Want to come work on Lydia’s latest project with me? It’ll take us outside of the fences…”

That shouldn’t have sounded good but it did. Nothing like fresh or at least air to clear her mind. “You mean the water thing?”

He nodded. “Yes. I volunteered for it while Boyd and Parrish help with electricity. She has this idea of using solar panels—it’s better to just let her do what she wants and stay out of her way.”

 _It really actually is._ “I learned that like two days after meeting her.” Grinning, she thought about his offer and decided why not. She must look really sad if he was willing to go out with her. “And sure that sounds like…well not fun but it sounds constructive and I like it. Do we have enough hoses though?”

Lifting her off the counter and putting her feet on the floor, Derek snorted. “I hope so. But this is a trial run so I’ll try not to punch anyone if we don’t. And you will be—”

She put her hand across his mouth. “I love you but you should remember I have daggers. Sharp ones.”

Derek smirked. “Oh I remember. Make sure you bring them when we go out.”


	2. We'll Be Okay

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Was inspired by the wonderful, supportive reviews to add a second part to Allison’s POV! :) As always I want to thank you guys for being so awesome and for following this series for so long. When I first started it I had no idea it would expand the way it has or be 182,040 words total! And I still have more ideas that I want to do so I know I have a few more parts in me. (I'm sure TWD helps lol) 
> 
> Anyway thank you for all of your reviews and kudos! <3

Chapter Two: We'll Be Okay

Arrows on her back and bow in her hand, Allison walked side by side with Derek that afternoon through the woods eyes wide and ears alert. But for all intents and purposes it was quiet, the snow having sent some animals underground and others in search of food elsewhere. Even though it was starting to melt it still looked pretty especially on the trees; like a serene winter wonderland. It reminded her of some of the places they’d lived before Beacon Hills when she assumed her father was just a security expert. Places that had actual seasons unlike California which was known for sun and heat. Even with all of the fucked up things going on she liked that they’d have autumn and spring now. Screwed up weather that brought them red and gold leaves and new blooming flowers would help them keep a handle on the days and months. Or their new calendar system if you wished to get technical.

It was important to have a sense of time so that things didn’t just melt into each other. As it were she really had no idea how pregnant she was but she wasn’t showing yet so she figured it had to be in the early stages. If she were taking an educated guess she’d say six to nine weeks, not that she had a real grasp of what that meant. She hadn’t known many pregnant people before the world became a dark and scary place. And her mother had never been the type to reminiscence about being pregnant. There were times when Allison had wished for brothers and sisters, and now she couldn’t help but wonder if her parents had stopped at one child because they got a girl first try. Leader of the other Hunters and all that; leave it to the other families to have soldiers. 

“I’ve been thinking about what you said.”

Derek glanced at her. “Yeah?”

She nodded. “Yeah. You’re right, you know? I do realize that getting checked out would be the responsible thing to do. Not just for—for baby reasons but for my own health as well. I should get it confirmed. I mean tests can be wrong and I think they expire after a while. I should get a medical professionals take.”

He seemed surprised by her change of heart and she didn’t blame him. “You think it could have been false positives?”

Did she? “No. If you want me to be honest, no. But it _does_ make more sense to make sure I’m healthy instead of waiting for something to happen.” Kicking a rock out of her way, she shrugged. “I’m still fucked up over this but it obviously means a lot to you and I don’t want you to think I _want_ something bad to happen, because I don’t. I’m just…well like I said I’m just scared.”

Derek grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze. “I know you are. And I didn’t mean to push. I’m just—this is all new to me as well. If it were just the two of us I would probably be doing better about the situation…”

That intrigued her. “How so?”

Derek smoothed a thumb across her knuckles and pulled her in the direction of the lake. “Well for starters we would only have to answer to ourselves. I suppose it seems like I don’t care what the others will say or think but I do. I’ve come to really respect your father and I like that the Pack actually thinks of me as their Alpha. As a _good_ Alpha.” He frowned. “One thing Chris always said to me was _take care of Allison_. I can’t help but think I failed in that.”

She snorted. “You didn’t. You work so hard to keep the prison going and to keep us safe; that kinda thing doesn’t stop being true just because we made a stupid mistake. And it is a _stupid mistake_ …I don’t care what anyone else says. Yeah they can offer their opinion but in the end it’s our decision how this goes. How it plays out.” Shaking her head, she looked up to the treetops. “Every day since finding out that I’m knocked up I’ve been thinking about the future. Will there even be a future? Am I being selfish? I know the answer to that is yes. Honestly I think I’m so worried about how the others will react—how my father will react—because deep down I already know. Deep down I already know what they might say and it doesn’t feel good.”

Derek exhaled. “This whole time we’ve been talking about this like we don’t have options. I guess if we really wanted them…”

 _We could find them and make it work._ “Well there is you punching me really hard in the stomach or trying to get some kind of back room abortion with Melissa’s help I guess like they did in the old days. Neither of those sound particularly nice to me. Granted pregnancy and labor doesn’t either but…it is what it is. None of us can say what is going to happen or pretend our situation is immediately doomed because of this.” A beat. “When my dad and I were all alone in the woods before meeting you guys, I thought we were doomed. Like, how could two people—even two with weapons—make it when surrounded by so many enemies. And then poof. Suddenly we were five men strong.”

He smiled a little. “Are you trying to convince them or yourself?”

 _Good question._ “Both maybe.” Falling quiet for a moment, she focused on the sounds of their boots crushing snow. “I came to the conclusion early on that I’d be okay dying for someone I loved. For my dad or for my friends. For you.” Derek’s jaw tightened but she continued. “My mom died for a code and Kate died for…some sick sense of righteousness that never made any sense. I’d like my eventual death to matter but more than that, I want my _life_ to matter. I want to have given _everything_ and done it all in this new world so that when someone asks, that can be my story. That I didn’t shy away from the hard shit or the impossible shit. I haven’t given up one single inch since Gerard broke the world and I don’t intend to start now.”

It wasn’t a direct 180 from what they had been talking about in the kitchen but a more profound look into her psyche she supposed. Everything was still there; the fear, the shame and perhaps even a bit of resentment though she honestly wasn’t sure who it was aimed at. But she also knew that the longer she put off telling anyone or remaining in her little bubble, the harder it would be to ever get the words out. And unfortunately perhaps Derek _had_ been right before. A tiny part of her did like to pretend it wasn’t happening. That if she didn’t speak about it then it didn’t really exist. It couldn’t hurt her or explode in her face as things of this nature were wont to do.

And there was no one to disappoint except herself.

 _And_ she was disappointed in herself for being reckless and basically letting this happen. But what’s done was done and now she just had to live with it. Supposedly.

Besides there were no easy way outs anymore. Even if she decided termination was best they would have to find the equipment, and as talented as Melissa was she had still been a nurse not a _doctor_. Surely there were things she didn’t know, things she’d never had to deal with. They’d been lucky so far that nothing too horrible had popped up to put her knowledge to the test. Allison didn’t want to be the first guinea pig.

“You don’t have to do this for me if that’s the case.” Derek replied lowly. “Suddenly be _okay_. That wasn’t my intention.”

“I know and I’m not _suddenly_ anything. I don’t want to go back to the prison and scream it from the rooftops. Truthfully I’ll probably never be ready for that, I’ll have to just _do it_ to get it over with. But letting Deaton in on the whole deal isn’t the worst idea you’ve ever had.” She smirked at him. “And you’ve had some horrible ones if memory serves me correctly.”

“Whatever.” But he appeared amused. “Thank you.”

“For what?” She asked lightly.

“For…humoring me.” He chose his words carefully. “I have a feeling that is what you are doing and I want you to know it’s appreciated. I’m sorry if I came on too strong earlier. Cora just…I don’t know. She caught me by surprise. I felt like I’d been holding onto this secret of ours so tightly and then she just pops up and _knows_ it. She reminded me of weird Hale related shit I had honestly forgot about it. I remembered when my mother got pregnant with her. I hadn’t thought about it in _years_ but I remembered when the flowers smell started and her telling me what it meant.”

“You’ve never mentioned it in relation to me.” Allison said offhandedly. “Do you not smell it or…?”

Dark brows furrowed and he stopped walking to stare at her. Leaned in close and brushed his nose against the soft skin of her throat. “It’s faint I guess. It’s possible I haven’t dealt with family stuff in so long I didn’t know what to look for. Now that Cora has mentioned it though yeah, it’s there.”

Allison snickered under her breath; the situation was insane. “What has become of our lives? I smell like flowers and zombies are real and you’re a werewolf. If the next thing we see isn’t a were-kitten I am going to be extremely upset. I like kittens.”

Derek rolled his eyes and tugged at the beanie on her head so that it covered her ears more. “Welcome to _our_ reality.”

By silent agreement they continued on towards the lake, by passing the empty traps and noticing sparse animal tracks in the downy snow. Allison inhaled the crisp cool air and decided it was time to get back in the thick of things even if that was being more involved with whatever Lydia was planning. She hadn’t spent that much time with her since returning from Beacon Hills, preferring to slink around and watch everyone else’s reactions to Cora. And maybe feel a little sorry for herself. It was possible to retain her holding pattern for a few more days _and_ touch base with her best friend. Perhaps even confide in her since if anyone would have a strategy where a baby could thrive in a walker infested world, it would be Lydia Martin.

_Not that I plan to drop that responsibility in her lap but I’m sure she’ll have some interesting ideas._

Tapping her bow against her leg, she cleared her throat. “Lydia has been having a lot of ideas lately, huh?”

He nodded. “She likes to be useful and that’s nice. I mean if it helps her mentally and emotionally. Though I’m sure Parrish is more to blame for that then anything else. He’s pretty taken with her.”

Allison grinned. “He is and I think it’s cute. Plus like she would ever turn down someone new telling her how brilliant she is.” Digging her palm into her eye she replied, “I hope Cora feeling comfortable around Boyd doesn’t cause any problems between him and Erica. She said it’s not a relationship sort of thing and I believe her.”

Derek pushed thick branches out of his way and up ahead she could see the lake. “Yeah. Erica will get over it when she’s sure she doesn’t have any competition. I hardly think Cora would slip into our group and immediately try to take someone else’s boyfriend. I don’t know her that well anymore but it just seems farfetched.”

The surface of the lake or pond—whichever you wanted to call it—was calm and dusted with a very light sheen of ice. Some spots had already started to crack and there was an odd little hole near the bank as if some animal had made it to drink out of. The contraption that Derek had Boyd had set up weeks ago to capture water was still only half done but Derek moved to it as if he remembered Lydia’s instructions. Allison kept a keen eye on the area as he hooked the bicycle chains into place and somehow got the pedals to start turning. When Lydia had first mentioned it the whole idea seemed kind of weird but now that she saw it in action, it was actually pretty ingenious.

“So this will somehow make getting water to the prison easier?” She inquired. “What about the hoses that she mentioned?”

Derek pointed to a small hole. “Pretty sure one hooks in here and the water is somehow propelled or sucked into the hose. We have one hose that is really long; Lydia thinks we should bury it under shallow ground and connect others until it reaches the fences. Where I think she’ll have another pulley system set up. According to her then we’ll only have to check them out when there is a blockage.”

 _I can almost see it working._ “I guess it’s worth a shot. Probably easier than somehow trying to get the power for this entire area back on. I don’t know anything about energy fusion or whatever she called it.”

Tapping another hole through the ice, Derek eased the back in of the device into the water. “Me either. I work better with machines.”

Allison felt her face heat at her own thoughts but decided not to share them for once. She plucked an arrow from its quiver and set it into the bow, aiming at a bald and shuffling walker trudging out of the brush. She felt the pull of the string in her upper arm as she reared back and let the arrow fly, watching as it struck right between the walker’s lifeless eyes. It dropped to the ground like a sack of heavy potatoes and she made her way over to retrieve her arrow, wiping off the point on what was left of the zombie’s tattered clothes.

Usually she didn’t pay that much attention to the dead but this one caught her eye, or rather parts of him did. His knuckles were bruised to the point of missing skin as if he’d been some type of fighter. While his clothes were normal the necklace around his neck almost looked like 14k gold. Oddest of all was the large gash across his throat.

“I can’t tell if this guy looks fresh or not.” She kicked at his thigh. “There is fresh blood around his mouth but he’s most likely been dead at least a few weeks.”

Derek wrinkled his nose. “I’d agree. Is that important?”

 _Well…_ “No. I’m just wondering what his deal is. He’s wearing a gold chain, his knuckles are shredded and someone slit his throat. Think he was a bad guy?”

Derek came to stand beside her. “He could have been. At the risk of being really disguising he smells like piss and semen.”

Allison made a face and tried to keep down her lunch. “Okay. If he has friends I hope we never meet them.” 

Before she could say anything else Derek’s head jerked to the left and he growled, eyes glowing red. “Unfortunately I think we will.”

At that moment about seven walkers burst out from between the snow covered bushes in several stages of disarray from missing limbs to entire layers of skin hanging off. They moved slowly but with intent, boney hands reaching and teeth gnashing. Allison yanked a knife from her boot and thrust it into Derek’s hand, stepping back and reaching for an arrow. It was flying through the air within seconds, taking down a female zombie missing her nose.

Derek swung out with his dagger and popped one in the temple, stumbling to the side as a rather beefy walker latched onto his bicep and dove down. Allison lunged forward and drove an arrow through its eye, shoving it backwards.

“Don’t let it fall in the water!” Derek shouted.

With a grunt she grabbed its arm as it pin wheeled back—dead weight—and yanked forward so that it tumbled behind Derek’s legs but away from the pond. The fourth was so greasy it looked like someone had covered it in oil but that didn’t stop it from trying to grab at them. Its hand slipped off the back of Derek’s neck and he swerved, nearly putting his fist through its face.

Allison wrenched it away from him and kicked so that it went hurdling over a fallen log. Then she was firing off arrows quick, one after the other into whatever walker she saw. She ended up using all of her arrows but by the time the last slipped from her fingers the zombies were dead, scattered about their feet like so much tissue paper.

She and Derek were breathing hard, their coats stained with splattered blood and brain mattered. Derek wiped his bloody fist on his jeans and sighed, rolling his shoulders. “You okay?”

Allison grinned at her; her heart was steadily hammering loudly in her own eyes. “Yeah. You?”

“Yeah.” He sniffed and set about dragging the bodies further away from the pond. “Amazing shooting, as always.”

“I was highly motivated.” She chuckled breathlessly. It felt nice to know she could still do that. “Glad I didn’t lose my touch.”

“Why would you think that? You were on top form in Beacon Hills against Ennis.” Derek reminded her. “Saved our asses so that we could get away. Everyone knows what you are capable of, Allison.”

 _Still nice to be reminded._ “We should be getting back before anymore of their friends come crawling. And they will of course. Oh and maybe tell Lydia a little wall around the pond wouldn’t hurt if it’s doable. Keep it walker free.”

Derek wet his lips. “I’m sure some have already moved through it so let’s hope boiling it does the trick enough. Must have since none of us are zombies.”

Yanking up all of her arrows and slipping them back into her quiver, she turned her attention up towards the sky. Her nose was red as were her cheeks but she felt alright. Maybe it was the killing dead things or maybe it was just seeing the faith Derek had in her again. Either way that tight knot in her chest had lessened just a little bit and she was going to count that as a win. She was going to hold onto her life with both hands and refuse to surrender. Refuse to give up or give in.

“We’ll burn these later.” Derek gestured to the bodies and then started back towards the prison. “Or maybe the wild animals will get rid of them for us. Nothing we eat would bother so I guess we’ll be okay.”

“Yeah.” Her fingers tightened around her bow. “We’ll be okay.”

~Fin~


End file.
